Imperfect/imperfect progressive question

[elizabethr]

Hi,

I'm learning Spanish mostly on my own until I enroll in university next year and your podcasts have been a great help. I especially like the information and clarifications about the vocabulary. I'm working on the usages of the different verb tenses, particularly the progressive ones.

Here is an example from one of the conjugation lessons: La chica lloraba cuando su mama llegó a casa. Can one also use the imperfect progressive in this sentence, as in La chica estaba llorando cuando...? It is just a difference in emphasis?

Gracias!

[ninjaxjschick]

I truthfully am not entirely sure about that (I'm still in the process of learning Spanish; it's my fifth year of it now (in school)) Anyway, I can't answer your question but I can add something to it.
EDIT: I'm not sure what the difference is, but (I'm almost 100% positive that) you can say it that way.
You could also say:
La chica había llorado cuando ... , correct? (The girl had been crying when...) Es el pluscuamperfecto y puede interrumpir la acción de una oración como el imperfecto, ¿verdad?

[elizabethr]

Thanks for your reply!

I would use había llorando if she was no longer crying when her mother arrived (she had been crying, but was not at that time). I enjoy studying the verb tenses because when I'm speaking my first language I forget about all the little differences in time and meaning. I hope I can get them down soon. Thanks again!

[ninjaxjschick]

Yeah I know it's more for "She had been crying"... I learned that tense (I don't even remember the English name... the past perfect? I just know that in Spanish it's pluscuamperfecto ^^) last year in Spanish 3... Just thought it would also be a good option.
I don't really know what the difference would be between the past progressive and the preterite... it might have to do with timing? I'm not really sure; I know the preterite is used for a specific time/date like anoche, etc generally... but I can only really contrast that to the imperfect. If I remember, I'll ask my Spanish teacher tomorrow in class.
^^ Good luck with your studies~ And I'll see if I can remember to get an answer

EDIT: Oops, I wasn't paying attention. It's not the preterite. The difference has to do with the timing. Estaba llorando is the more recent past, while the imperfect, lloraba, is farther in the past.